Hanger strap



Nov. 10, 1959 A. c. SANFORD HANGER STRAP Filed Dec. 18, 1956 INVENTOR. I3 ARTHUR A 0L SANFORD ATTORNEYS United States Patent The invention relates generally to building construct'ion, and more particularly to a sheet metal hanger strap for supporting one wood structural member on another at right angles thereto.

The hanger strap of the present invention is especially adapted for connecting the end of a roof member, such as the bottom chord of a truss to an abutting transverse member. V

Conventional practice in connecting two wood. members together at right angles to each other has included toenailing the members together, or using conventional angle brackets at the joint. of the joint is entirely dependent upon the strength of the connecting nails or screws, and excessive time is consumed in making the connection. Moreover, when toenailing is used the wood is frequently split or otherwise damaged in driving the nails, and the joint is weak and insecure.

The present hanger strap is easily formed from a single blank of sheet metal, and is quickly nailed in place to solidly support the end of a wood member on an abutting transverse member.

Further objects include the provision of a novel hanger strap which is adapted to conform to transverse supporting members of various sizes and shapes, and which is adapted to be quickly and securely anchored to the end of an abutting wood member by clinched nails to prevent uplift of the member due to wind loads.

The foregoing objects, and others which will appear from the following specification, are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. Various modifications and changes in details of construction are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved hanger strap, showing the manner of nailing it to two abutting members at right angles to each other.

Fig. 2 is -a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the hanger strap is formed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on a reduced scale, showing the improved strap in position to support the end of the bottom chord of a wood truss from a transverse girder truss.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view as on line 44 of Fig. 1. V

The sheet metal blank shown in Fig. 2 consists of a strip of metal 10 having a laterally offset shorter portion 11 joined thereto along the fold line 12. The oifset portion terminates even with the adjacent end 13 of the strip, so that the blank is a flat L-shaped piece of sheet metal. Between the fold line 12 and the end 13, the strip is separated from portion 11 by a longitudinal cut 14.

A plurality of small nail holes 15 are punched in the blank, preferably eight in the strip 10 and four in the pordion 11, although the number and location of these holes In either case the strength 7 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 can be varied as desired. Four larger holes 16 are punched in the portion 11 in a predetermined relation to the smaller holes 15 therein, for a purpose to be described.

In forming the hanger strap of Fig. 1 from the blank of Fig. 2, the portion 11 is first bent outwardly along fold line 12 at right angles'to thestrip 10, and that part of portion 11 adjacent to cut 14 is bent laterally in front of strip 11 along transverse fold line 17 and then upwardly at right angles alongtransverse fold line 18 to form a U-shaped support indicated generally at 20, and having parallel vertical flanges or legs 21 and 22 connected by a bottom horizontal web 23.

The width of the web is preferably designed to receive and support a standard wood 2 x 4 on edge as shown in Fig. 3, and is therefore slightly greater than 1% to allow some clearance between the flanges 21 and 22 and the sides of the 2 x 4 member forming the bottom chord of a wood truss 30. The width of the strip 10 is substantially greater than the width of web 23, and may be approximately 3" so that the flange 22 is approximately 1%" from the adjacent lateral edge of the strip 10.

After the U-shaped support 20 has been formed, the lower portion of strip 10 is bent outwardly along fold line 26 at right angles to the strip underlying the web 23 and in substantial abutment therewith, to reinforce and stiffen the web 23, forming the horizontal flange 27 which projects outwardly beyond the web. That part of flange 27 which extends laterally of vertical flange 22 is then bent upwardly at right angles along a diagonal line 28 extending from its inner end to a point on the outer edge of flange 27 approximately 1% from the outer corner formed by the cut 14, forming a vertical triangular flange 29. The outer upper corner of flange 29 is adapted to abut and laterally brace the side of a 2 x 4 member inserted in the U-shaped support 20, as indicated in Fig. 3. i

In using the improved hanger strap to support the end of a truss 30 in substantial abutment with a transverse girder truss 31, for example, the upper portion of strip 10 is bent rearwardly and downwardly, to form the flange portions 32 and 33, as shown in Fig. 1, for fitting over the upper edges of the girder truss, as shown in Fig. 3. The length of the flange 32 may be varied to fit a girder truss having two or more plies, as desired.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the two large holes 16 in flange 21 are located laterally opposite the two small holes 15 in flange 22, and the two large holes 16 in flange 22 are located laterally opposite the two small holes 15 in flange 21. The purpose of this arrangement is to. provide for driving nails or spikes 35 entirely through a 2 x 4 member carried in the support 20, and clinching the nails on the opposite side. By starting the nails through the smaller holes 15 in both flanges 21 and 22, the larger holes 16 in the opposite flange allow for some misalignment as the points of the nails emerge through the larger holes.

If the spikes 35 are 16d (16 penny), the smaller holes 15 may be 7 in diameter and the larger holes 16 may be approximately in diameter. The spike 35 driven through the small hole 15 in triangular flange 29 may also be clinched against the opposite surface of the bottom chord of truss 30, as indicated. The other spikes 35 driven through the smaller holes 15 into the members of truss 30 and girder truss 31 do not extend entirely through the wood members.

The four spikes 35 extending laterally through the bottom chord of truss 30 and having their projecting ends clinched over the edges of holes 16 on the opposite flange, provide means for securely anchoring the truss 30 against Inpvement upward ly a s u uid occur due to wind load in a roof formed by such trusses.

The present hanger strap is easily formed from a single metal blank, and is quickly and easily spiked in place to s li l @9119: and su ort the and t aim member abuttin transws m m t Pr e i 9f the truss member.

1. Ahanger strap formed from a single blank of sheet metal for supporting the end of a wood member on an abutting transverse member, said strap having a U-shaped sup g f r ad in t e d of d wQ m mb an underlying flange reinforcing the web of the U-shaped support and projecting outwardly beyond the sameQin a direction to be under a wood member in said support, an upturned diagonal flange on the projecting portion of said underlying flange and adapted at its outer'end to engage the side of said wood member, and a flange member attached to the inner end of said U-shaped suppprt for engaging over said transverse member.

' 2. A hanger strap for supporting the end of a wood member on abutting transyerse member, said strap having a U-shaped support for receiving the end of said wood member, an underlying flange reinforcing the web of the U-shaped support and projecting outwardly beyond the same in a direction to be under a wood member said support, an upturned diagonal flange on the pro,- jecting portion of said underlying flange and adapted at its outer end to engage the side of said wood member, 9 le of a el uppo having a h es n the other leg having enlarged holes directly opposite to facilitate driving spikes entirely through said Wood memher and clinching their projecting ends against the outer surface of the opposite leg, and a flange member ext n n Is a dl o s .t -r p d pp t f gaging over said transverse member.

3. A hanger strap formed from a single blank of sheet metal for supporting the end of a wood member on an abutting transverse member, said strap having a U-shaped support for receiving the end of said wood member, an underlying flange reinforcing the web of said U-shaped support and extending laterally and outwardly beyond the same in a direction to be under a wood member in said support, an upturned diagonal flange on said laterally extending portion terminating at the outer edge of said underlying flange and adapted to engage at its outer end the side of said wood member, a flange member extending rearwardly .of said U-shaped support for engaging over said transverse member.

4. A hanger strap formed from a single blank of sheet metal for supporting the end of awood member on an abutting transverse member, said strap having a U-shaped support for receiving the end of said Wood member, an underlying flange reinforcing the web of said U-shaped support and-extending later lly and, outwardlybeyond the same in a direction to be undera wood member in said support, an upturned diagonalflange on said later.- ally extending portion terminating at the outer edge of said underlying flange and adapted at its outer end to engage the side of said wood member, one leg o f said UV-shaped support having nail holes and the other leg having enlarged holes directly opposite to facilitate driving spikes entirely through said wood member and elinehing their projecting ends against the outer surface of the opposite leg, and flange means extending rearwardly of said U-shaped support for engaging over said transverse member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES i e N Re d, S 20 19.

(Cop Scientific Library, vol. 157, page relied on.) 

